By Chinelo Chikelu
Copyright leadership
University students from Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions showcased their innovations at the 2025 edition of Entrepreneurship Week hosted by DevEast in Owerri, Imo State.
The three-day event at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) featured workshops, mentorship sessions, and a business pitch competition designed to inspire entrepreneurial thinking and foster innovation.
Participating institutions included FUTO, Imo State University, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, University of Uyo and Abia State University.
Director of the Enterprise Development Centre at FUTO, Dr Abraham Ngunta, commended DevEast for its commitment to entrepreneurship education and its efforts to equip educators with practical tools to nurture student-led innovation.
Mr Collins Onuegbu, founder of DevEast and Chairman of Signal Alliance Technology Holding (SATH), delivered keynote remarks and provided student feedback. He described the programme as a movement to empower Nigerian youth and educators to drive innovation, create jobs, and fuel economic growth.
The business pitch competition highlighted several student-led startups. Kaylani Hair Essentials, a beauty and personal care brand from FUTO, emerged as the winner. Acadeva, an edtech platform from the University of Uyo, finished as the first runner-up, while Trash and Cash, a waste-to-wealth project also from FUTO, emerged as the second runner-up.
Other notable entries included Flickmart, an e-commerce startup from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and Gifty Nut, a food processing venture from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
The Train-the-Trainers session was led by Ikenna Okechukwu, who delivered a lecture on enterprise development to facilitators and lecturers from various tertiary institutions in Imo State.
